Floors, Cleaning the Non-Toxic Way
I feel good about cleaning my floors without toxic cleaners. Not to mention that it is less expensive. I use natural products that are non-toxic and safe for my family and our animals. The products I use do not harm our earth or environment. I have to say I have a habit of not buying from companies that dump toxic waste and use toxins to create the products they sell. I guess you could say I buy green. Nature is the art of God Ancient Folk Saying First make cleaning fun. Turn on your favorite music, something that gets you going. Put your heart into it. Dance if you want to. My dogs run outside when my stereo volume hits a certain level! They know I'll either make them dance with me or chase them with the vacuum. Sheba is the exception, she likes to be vacuumed. When she has had enough she wants out of my way. Cleaning wood floors (and walls and trim). Murphys Oil Soap is a good standby. But if you feel a little more creative tea is a wonderful cleaner. The tannins in the green or black tea give it cleaning power. Plus it brings out the grain in the wood. Make a pot of tea, have a cup while you are waiting for it to cool enough to get your hands in it. Use a damp cloth, not wet, and rub with the grain. No need to rinse. I suppose you could use a sponge mop instead of getting on your hands and knees, but that's not getting as much exercise! I incorporate a little yoga into my movement when I clean. Stretch those muscles, massage those organs. Sing, and expand those lungs. To polish and preserve the wood if it has not been varnished use some linseed oil with a little lemon in it. Borax in hot water makes a good vinyl floor cleaner. I do rinse the floor after I scrub to bring out a shining finish. Distilled white vinegar in hot water is another good cleaner, plus disinfectant and deodorizer. Baking soda in hot water make sure to rinse. Add a little lemon for greasy floors. You can add lemon to any of the above. Make sure to rinse. Black shoe marks Salt or baking soda Make a paste with water and scrub off. If your marks are on a wood floor do not rub hard. Make sure to rub with the wood grain. This works well for most stubborn stains on most any surface. Salt and baking soda are both abrasive and will not hurt the surface. (Works great for coffee or tea stains in cups too.) Bathroom floors I have vinyl floors in my bathroom. I just hate the small spaces around the toilet. I have found that taking the toilet brush and wraping a cloth around the brush works well. I don't have to get my hands in there (Uck). I make up a solution of hot water with distilled vinegar and a few drops of Lavander Essential Oil. The vinegar and lavander both disinfect and deodorize. I do the toilet base at the same time. Then I take a cloth and wipe dry. Use this solution for the whole bathroom floor. When you are done pour it in the toilet and scrub it. It will disinfect it too. When you are done sit down and relax with a cup of tea and smile. Your floors will be clean, disinfected and non-toxic. Mother Nature has lots of natural, non-toxic cleaners. Everything you need for your floors, dishes, laundry and more.
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